McDonalds, a poster child for the average fast food diet, has yet again been exposed for selling foods containing far more hazardous ingredients to American customers.

Repeatedly, we find that processed foods—which are bad enough even without added chemicals—contain far more hazardous ingredients in the US compared to other nations, most notably Europe.

In fact, many of the foods Americans eat on a regular basis are banned in other countries. On the upside, companies like Frito Lays has actually started offering a certified organic version of its popular potato chip, but it’s only sold in certain stores.

With all the known health issues associated with junk food, why not offer this healthier organic version everywhere? Granted, organic potato chips are by no means a health food. But if you’re going to eat chips, organic chips would certainly be the lesser evil.

There are countless of examples showing that processed food does not have to be quite as harmful as it currently is, yet there’s a pervasive double standard. Americans get processed foods that are absolutely chock full of additives, while the same products sold in other nations are made with far fewer ingredients, and less hazardous ones.

McDonald’s French Fries Contain Far Less Junk in the UK Than the US

FOX news recently reported that McDonald’s French fries sold in the UK contain far fewer ingredients, which is typically a hallmark of a healthier product. Even if it is highly processed, and therefore not a good foundational part of your diet, at least you’re getting less toxic exposure with each bite when you do eat it.

For starters, in the US, McDonald’s French fries are made with potatoes cooked in hydrogenated canola and/or soybean oil—two of the worst cooking oils you can use; both of which are also in all likelihood the genetically engineered varieties.

American fries also contain TBHQ; antifoaming agents, preservatives, and color stabilizers. For some reason, American French fries also contain beef flavor, made with wheat and milk derivatives. As a result, they carry an allergy warning for those with wheat and dairy sensitivities.

Meanwhile, French fries sold in the UK consist of potatoes cooked in non-hydrogenated sunflower or rapeseed oil, and nothing else. Salt is added after cooking. Realize that both of these oils aren’t great as they are both high omega 6 oils that become oxidized to cyclic aldehydes and the rapeseed is GMO.

Still, if McDonald’s can make a tasty French fry without preservatives, antifoaming agents, color stabilizers, TBHQ, and added flavorings for its British restaurants, why do they refuse to make them without this junk for Americans?

American Food Contains Thousands of Hazardous Food Additives

More than 3,000 food additives — preservatives, flavorings, colors and other ingredients — are added to US foods, including infant foods and foods targeted to young children.

Meanwhile, many of these are banned in other countries, based on research showing toxicity and hazardous health effects, especially with respect to adverse effects on children’s behavior.

This includes food colorings such as red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, and/or blue 2, which has been shown to cause behavioral problems, allergic reactions, and even cancer.

In countries where these food dyes are banned, companies employ natural colorants instead, such as paprika extract, beetroot, and annatto. But if they can do it in a host of other countries, why can’t they switch over altogether, and use natural colorants in foods sold on the American market as well?

Another example: the antifoaming agent dimethylpolysiloxane, found in the American version of McDonald’s French fries, is a type of silicone with anti-foaming properties used in cosmetics and a variety of other goods like Silly Putty. Does it have to be used to make a decent French fry? Apparently not. So why use it?

Ditto for TBHQ. Animal studies suggest there may be a number of health hazards associated with this chemical, including liver effects at very low doses; positive mutation results from in vitro tests on mammalian cells; biochemical changes at very low doses; and reproductive effects at high doses.

A question that really needs to be answered by each and every offending food company is: Why do you want to make Americans sick? You’re keeping all this junk out of the UK and other countries’ food supply, why not here?